The rebirth of Alex Iwobi
There has often been a difference between perception and reality when it comes to Alex Iwobi.
Take his transfer from Arsenal in the summer of 2019. The Nigerian was sat on a beach in Dubai when he was informed, somewhat out of the blue, that he was the subject of late interest from Everton. That he was seen as a late alternative to Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace winger owner Farhad Moshiri had ultimately failed to snare, perhaps hinted at the struggles to come.
In fairness, Everton knew then Iwobi would not be like Zaha. Although Marco Silva, the manager at the time, wanted a dynamic winger to break the lines, he settled for someone entirely different; a possession player, a link man who could help the team play.
In Everton terms, more Steven Pienaar in style than Andrei Kanchelskis.
Silva understood that, utilising the former Arsenal man either in a central role or tucked in from the left. But others did not. When the Portuguese left months later, it marked an early point of departure not only for Iwobi but also for Everton, who until the appointment of Frank Lampard had steadily descended into a more reactive style.
Not every Everton manager since has completely understood Iwobi, or even tried to. That confusion has sometimes permeated into the stands, with supporters often left bemused by the lack of impact from the £28-million signing.
For that and several other reasons, his three-year stint so far has largely been unfulfilling; full of fleeting moments that never become anything more consistent or tangible.
At times, it has felt like Iwobi has indeed suffered for not being Zaha. A host of Everton managers have played him on the wing, or more curiously still at wing-back, believing it to be a natural home for his quick feet, energy and ability to drive past a man.
His strength, though, is not in his crossing or goalscoring but in his short passing and ability to get the team playing at tempo.
Until very recently, the end product was two contrasting visions of Iwobi: the one who would impress so many in training, showcasing skills honed on the caged pitches of east London as he sought to emulate uncle Jay-Jay Okocha, and the curiously listless player witnessed in matches.
Internally, many of those who worked with him retained a belief in his quality as a player, even if that patience has sometimes been tested. There has always been a feeling, to one extent or another, that a fastidious work ethic in training, coupled with undoubted ability, could be harnessed effectively. That he just needed the right manager and role.
Maybe now he has both.
While by no means blemish-free, the last month under Lampard has arguably been the best spell of Iwobi’s Everton career so far.
For the first time in three years, supporters now sing his name.
Iwobi’s rebirth, if it can even be called that, has come in the central role he and those closest to him have always maintained is his best. It is also the one that was earmarked for him by club chiefs as they looked to transition the squad over the next 12 months.
Under Lampard, he is playing as a more withdrawn No 8 and finally excelling.
From his position to the left of the midfield three (No 17 in the below graphic) he is tasked predominantly with funnelling the ball to Richarlison (No 7) and springing to help initiate the press.
Iwobi’s work rate off the ball has been outstanding, contributing to improved team displays of late. He covered the most distance of any player in the 1-0 win over Manchester United (11.6 kilometres, according to data from Skill Corner), made the most sprints (26) and managed more interceptions than any of his team-mates (four).
In February’s 3-0 home victory over Leeds, he made 46 pressures — 12 more than anyone else on the Everton team.
“Alex is one I rely on. We have moved his position and he has offered so much,” Lampard said after the Manchester United win.
“I think you could feel the crowd’s reaction towards him today with his energy and qualities. I don’t know how many kilometres he has run this week but he’s done it again.
”It is about character and Premier League players get questioned in difficult moments. A lot of questions asked over the last few days, especially if you make those individual errors.“
The mistake referenced, where his poor touch resulted in Jarrod Bowen’s winner against West Ham, must be placed in context. Iwobi is playing a role that demands he takes responsibility.
He ended the match at the London Stadium with the most touches of any Everton player, most progressive passes and the most carries. Against Burnley a few days later, he was top again for progressive passes and passes into the penalty area.
He is meant to be a conduit, to take Everton from A to B, and that means there is a pay-off between risk and reward.
Here is Iwobi’s pass map from the game against West Ham. Note the concentration of passes to the left side serving Richarlison as well as the number of vertical passes into areas around the box.
Against Burnley, over 60 per cent of his passes were in advanced areas on the left.
Everton sent over 50 per cent of their attacks down the left against Manchester United, skewing heavily to that side against Burnley and West Ham too.
Linking with Richarlison is bringing the best out of them both — and turning the left flank into an area of strength once more.
There is a video of Iwobi and full-back Vitaliy Mykolenko from Saturday’s game that has captured the imagination of supporters online.
It shows the pair on the full-time whistle, beating the turf in elation. These are images of unbridled joy, relief and, finally, exhaustion. Both had run themselves into the ground for their team.
For Mykolenko, it may well have been the start of something. This was comfortably his most assured performance since joining in January from Dynamo Kyiv.
But it is perhaps also a starting point of sorts too for Iwobi.
For so long, as this season has unravelled, the question has been who will stand up to be counted for Everton.
With his winner against Newcastle and strong recent performances, Iwobi is one of those doing just that. Playing in a role more natural to him, he is giving Everton a spark and creative edge that they have often lacked this season — and doing so at a time when it is most needed.
After a disappointing couple of years, he is finally connecting with supporters. They see his industry and appreciate it.
But this run needs to be a watershed.
For his time at Everton to ultimately come full circle, he must now push on in his new role and show everyone he can finally turn into the player they thought he could one day become.
https://theathletic.com/3244715/2022/04/12/alex-iwobi-new-role-everton-frank-lampard-football/
The rebirth of Alex Iwobi
There has often been a difference between perception and reality when it comes to Alex Iwobi.
Take his transfer from Arsenal in the summer of 2019. The Nigerian was sat on a beach in Dubai when he was informed, somewhat out of the blue, that he was the subject of late interest from Everton. That he was seen as a late alternative to Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace winger owner Farhad Moshiri had ultimately failed to snare, perhaps hinted at the struggles to come.
In fairness, Everton knew then Iwobi would not be like Zaha. Although Marco Silva, the manager at the time, wanted a dynamic winger to break the lines, he settled for someone entirely different; a possession player, a link man who could help the team play.
In Everton terms, more Steven Pienaar in style than Andrei Kanchelskis.
Silva understood that, utilising the former Arsenal man either in a central role or tucked in from the left. But others did not. When the Portuguese left months later, it marked an early point of departure not only for Iwobi but also for Everton, who until the appointment of Frank Lampard had steadily descended into a more reactive style.
Not every Everton manager since has completely understood Iwobi, or even tried to. That confusion has sometimes permeated into the stands, with supporters often left bemused by the lack of impact from the £28-million signing.
For that and several other reasons, his three-year stint so far has largely been unfulfilling; full of fleeting moments that never become anything more consistent or tangible.
At times, it has felt like Iwobi has indeed suffered for not being Zaha. A host of Everton managers have played him on the wing, or more curiously still at wing-back, believing it to be a natural home for his quick feet, energy and ability to drive past a man.
His strength, though, is not in his crossing or goalscoring but in his short passing and ability to get the team playing at tempo.
Until very recently, the end product was two contrasting visions of Iwobi: the one who would impress so many in training, showcasing skills honed on the caged pitches of east London as he sought to emulate uncle Jay-Jay Okocha, and the curiously listless player witnessed in matches.
Internally, many of those who worked with him retained a belief in his quality as a player, even if that patience has sometimes been tested. There has always been a feeling, to one extent or another, that a fastidious work ethic in training, coupled with undoubted ability, could be harnessed effectively. That he just needed the right manager and role.
Maybe now he has both.
While by no means blemish-free, the last month under Lampard has arguably been the best spell of Iwobi’s Everton career so far.
For the first time in three years, supporters now sing his name.
Iwobi’s rebirth, if it can even be called that, has come in the central role he and those closest to him have always maintained is his best. It is also the one that was earmarked for him by club chiefs as they looked to transition the squad over the next 12 months.
Under Lampard, he is playing as a more withdrawn No 8 and finally excelling.
From his position to the left of the midfield three (No 17 in the below graphic) he is tasked predominantly with funnelling the ball to Richarlison (No 7) and springing to help initiate the press.
Iwobi’s work rate off the ball has been outstanding, contributing to improved team displays of late. He covered the most distance of any player in the 1-0 win over Manchester United (11.6 kilometres, according to data from Skill Corner), made the most sprints (26) and managed more interceptions than any of his team-mates (four).
In February’s 3-0 home victory over Leeds, he made 46 pressures — 12 more than anyone else on the Everton team.
“Alex is one I rely on. We have moved his position and he has offered so much,” Lampard said after the Manchester United win.
“I think you could feel the crowd’s reaction towards him today with his energy and qualities. I don’t know how many kilometres he has run this week but he’s done it again.
”It is about character and Premier League players get questioned in difficult moments. A lot of questions asked over the last few days, especially if you make those individual errors.“
The mistake referenced, where his poor touch resulted in Jarrod Bowen’s winner against West Ham, must be placed in context. Iwobi is playing a role that demands he takes responsibility.
He ended the match at the London Stadium with the most touches of any Everton player, most progressive passes and the most carries. Against Burnley a few days later, he was top again for progressive passes and passes into the penalty area.
He is meant to be a conduit, to take Everton from A to B, and that means there is a pay-off between risk and reward.
Here is Iwobi’s pass map from the game against West Ham. Note the concentration of passes to the left side serving Richarlison as well as the number of vertical passes into areas around the box.
Against Burnley, over 60 per cent of his passes were in advanced areas on the left.
Everton sent over 50 per cent of their attacks down the left against Manchester United, skewing heavily to that side against Burnley and West Ham too.
Linking with Richarlison is bringing the best out of them both — and turning the left flank into an area of strength once more.
There is a video of Iwobi and full-back Vitaliy Mykolenko from Saturday’s game that has captured the imagination of supporters online.
It shows the pair on the full-time whistle, beating the turf in elation. These are images of unbridled joy, relief and, finally, exhaustion. Both had run themselves into the ground for their team.
For Mykolenko, it may well have been the start of something. This was comfortably his most assured performance since joining in January from Dynamo Kyiv.
But it is perhaps also a starting point of sorts too for Iwobi.
For so long, as this season has unravelled, the question has been who will stand up to be counted for Everton.
With his winner against Newcastle and strong recent performances, Iwobi is one of those doing just that. Playing in a role more natural to him, he is giving Everton a spark and creative edge that they have often lacked this season — and doing so at a time when it is most needed.
After a disappointing couple of years, he is finally connecting with supporters. They see his industry and appreciate it.
But this run needs to be a watershed.
For his time at Everton to ultimately come full circle, he must now push on in his new role and show everyone he can finally turn into the player they thought he could one day become.
https://theathletic.com/3244715/2022/04/12/alex-iwobi-new-role-everton-frank-lampard-football/
